The present invention relates to processing items in an image-based item processing system, and is particularly directed to processing images of misoriented items in an image-based item processing system, such as an image-based check processing system, to provide assistance to an operator of the image-based check processing system.
A typical image-based check processing system includes a number of different types of workstations. The different types of workstations may include a document preparation workstation, an image capture workstation, a recognition workstation, a keying and balancing workstation, and an encoding workstation. Items such as bank checks are initially prepared at the document preparation workstation (e.g., removing staples, paper clips, and the like) for further processing at workstations downstream from the document preparation workstation. Each prepared item is fed along a document feed path of the image capture workstation which captures front and rear images of the item. The image capture workstation creates units of work and submits the created work to a workflow manager in a known way.
Workstations downstream from the image capture workstation poll the workflow manager in a known manner for work to perform, and may also create units of work which are submitted back to the workflow manager. The different workstations downstream from the image capture workstation process the front and rear images of each item. More specifically, the front and rear images of each item are sent to the recognition workstation which provides recognition results associated with the item. Operation of each workstation downstream from the recognition workstation, such as the keying and balancing workstation, and the encoding workstation, depends upon the recognition results provided by the recognition workstation.
The typical image-based check processing system further includes a MICR reader which is used to read a codeline from each item. The image-based check processing system may include an OCR reader which is used to read a codeline from an item in the form of an envelope which contains a damaged check, for example. In some known image-based check processing systems, the MICR reader provides a trigger signal when the MICR reader reads a particular codeline which indicates that the item which is moving along the document feed path is an envelope containing a damaged check. The trigger signal from the MICR reader is provided to activate the OCR reader. When the OCR reader is activated, the OCR reader attempts to read the codeline of the damaged check contained in the envelope which is moving along the document feed path. The OCR reader may be controlled via hardware and/or firmware associated with the OCR reader in its attempt to read the codeline of the damaged check contained in the envelope which is moving along the document feed path.
If the OCR reader is unable to read the codeline of an item (i.e., check or envelope, for example) which is moving along the document feed path, then a possibility exists that the item is physically misoriented along the document feed path. If no codeline is read because the item is physically misoriented along the document feed path, then the item is rejected and a corresponding misoriented front image of the item is usually displayed on a display screen at the keying and balancing workstation for viewing by a human operator. The human operator may then manually press a xe2x80x9cFLIPxe2x80x9d key or a xe2x80x9cROTATExe2x80x9d key on a keyboard at the keying and balancing workstation to reorient the front image of the item appearing on the display screen so that it is displayed in correct orientation on the display screen. After the front image of the item is displayed in correct orientation on the display screen, the human operator manually keys in the codeline of the item. Depending upon the number of items actually rejected due to misorientation problems, the amount of time and labor required by the human operator to correct orientation of misoriented items and then to manually key in codelines could be significant and, therefore, relatively costly.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of processing misoriented documents in an image-based document processing system comprises the steps of (a) capturing an image of a document as the document is being transported along a document feed path, (b) reading a codeline from the document captured in step (a), and (c) reorienting the image of the document when the codeline is unable to be read in step (b).
Preferably, a MICR reader is actuated in an attempt to read the codeline. The image of the document captured in step (a) may be flipped from upside down to rightside up to a correct orientation. Alternatively, the image of the document captured in step (a) may be rotated to reverse front and rears sides of the image to a correct orientation.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a check processing system comprises means defining a check feed path. An image lift device is provide for lifting an image of a check as the check is being transported along the check feed path. A reader is provided for reading a codeline from the check as the check is being transported along the check feed path past the reader. A processor executes a program to reorient the image of the check when the reader is unable to read a codeline from the check due to misorientation of the check along the check feed path. Preferably, the reader is a MICR reader for reading a MICR codeline from the check.